The moment I stepped out the villa gates, even seeing Linna off—

‘I just... can’t decide this on my own. Is it really okay to tell Linna about this? But I can’t just sit back and do nothing either...’

I ran straight toward the lakeside.

‘Our family is one everyone knows—some nouveau riche house that bought a title with money, so I just can’t relate to all this crap about “noble blood”...’

And to top it off, I’d never once interacted with my mother since the day I was born.

So I couldn’t even begin to imagine how Linna must’ve felt when she found out Anais wasn’t her real mother.

And I wasn’t the type to make hasty decisions about things I didn’t understand well.

‘Let’s gather some opinions before deciding how to handle this.’

In the “village on the other side of the lake” Linna mentioned—Ray was there. For now, I just wanted to hear his opinion.

‘Ray’s also an heir to a duchy, and... well, even if she’s not great, he does have a mom at least...’

I hopped forward, plucked a leaf from a branch, and set it afloat on the lake.

‘Athena, guide me to Ray!’

Maybe Athena nearby heard my call—because the leaf began to move.

I ran, following the leaf.

* * *

Aietar’s residence, set within the Holy Land of Arhad.

“Father.”

With a sweet voice, Yuta knocked and entered.

“You summoned me.”

Aietar had been gazing at the moon from the window. He slowly turned around.

Yuta, holding Liri in his arms, gave a respectful bow.

“You’re later than I expected, Yuta.”

Aietar stared intently at him as he spoke.

“I thought you’d arrive sooner.”

“I apologize. I was delayed while taking care of the Orgon Duchy’s affairs.”

Yuta answered with a light smile.

“You could’ve just spoken through the mirror, so calling me here directly... must mean it’s something important, yes? That’s why I wrapped up everything urgent so I wouldn’t have to return to the Orgon Duchy for a while.”

Yuta smiled brightly at Aietar.

“Now that I’m here in person, I’ll do everything in my power to assist, no matter your command, Father.”

“Yes, Yuta.”

Aietar crooked a smile, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) slowly approaching and brushing Yuta’s hair with his hand.

“I’m about to carry out something very important here.”

Aietar stared deep into Yuta’s green eyes.

“I intend to absorb Arhad’s divine power using the Sacred Relic of Power. But that’ll take some time.”

“The Sacred Relic... of Power?”

“Yes. I’ve used it in the past. I, born with a special nobility among even the high priests.”

Aietar slowly lowered his hand and clasped Yuta’s.

“Will you protect me during that time?”

“Yes.”

Yuta immediately dropped to his knees.

“It is an honor, Father.”

Aietar gazed down at Yuta in silence for a moment. Then he spoke slowly.

“I don’t often preach to the masses, but when I do, there’s something I always emphasize. Do you know what it is?”

“Yes, I know well. The love between parent and child... that’s what you speak of, isn’t it?”

“Yes. The bond between parent and child is a connection bestowed by the heavens. A child must do their utmost to repay the parents who’ve raised them. Remember that, Yuta.”

“I will, Father.”

Yuta bowed his head even lower. Aietar continued to look down at him, then slowly raised his brows and said:

“I’ll give the order soon, so rest while you wait. Sir Payton will guide you to your quarters.”

Yuta pressed a kiss to Aietar’s foot, then slowly rose to his feet.

He had already opened all the secret passages when he entered Arhad. So Zahid, who had been nearby, could slip in undetected.

Staying hidden and investigating things—those were Zahid’s specialties, thanks to his superior physical abilities.

‘That skill—perfect for a phantom thief—was already proven at the Great Temple. Things are playing out exactly as Zahid expected...’

Yuta kept his head bowed before Aietar as he thought to himself:

‘Zahid, I’m counting on you. I’ll keep doing my part.’

* * *

“Ray!”

“Rosie?”

Ray was sitting by the lake, casting a fishing rod with Athena by his side.

“What’s going on?”

He stood up in a flash, seeing the tension written all over my face.

“Why’d you leave the villa?”

“It’s... huff, hahh, huff...”

I tried to speak as quickly as I could, but I was too out of breath—I just collapsed right then and there. I’d completely worn myself out running the long way around the lake.

Before I knew it, the sun had fully set, and the clear lake shimmered in the moonlight.

“Did you find something out? Already?”

Ray asked urgently—then belatedly gave a small gasp of admiration.

“But Rosie, you’re seriously fast. I thought it’d take at least five days, but you got locked up and escaped in like... what, an hour?”

“Right...”

Still gasping, I worked to catch my breath.

“Honestly, it’s kind of thanks to Athena...”

If Athena hadn’t suddenly framed me as a pregnant woman, things probably wouldn’t have moved this fast.

‘Now that I think about it... Cashie went along with it too, didn’t he?’

I recalled Cashie’s mysterious eyes and thought,

‘He’s the one who silently opened the attic door too...’

Just what kind of Divine Beast was that cat, anyway? The question struck me all over again.

“WROOOAARRR!”

Look over there!

Athena suddenly let out a massive cry in the direction of the villa. Ray and I jumped and turned our heads.

“...Huh?”

Ray murmured in disbelief.

“Is that... Linna?”

I stared blankly at the distant villa too.

Linna was standing on the rooftop.

Even from this distance, her wind-whipped dark red hair made it unmistakably her.

She stood at the rooftop’s peak, backlit by the moon, her skirt flaring in the wind, holding Cashie in her arms. It was an eerie, surreal sight.

“What the hell.”

Ray muttered in a grim voice.

“Why the hell is she standing up there?”

A bad feeling flashed through me. I suddenly remembered how calmly Linna had pointed to the other side of the lake.

“If I tell them I sent you on an errand, maybe they’ll pretend to forgive me. They can’t keep you locked up here forever—not with the Lavendal Duchy involved.”

Only now did everything click into place.

It felt like I’d just been smacked in the head.

There’s no way Linna—of all people—could’ve spoken so rationally and calmly.

I’d been too rattled at the time to notice.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized—nothing about her behavior had been normal. That tone hadn’t been Linna’s at all.

“There’s a small village on the other side of the lake. It’s big enough to have a physician. Could you buy me some headache medicine?”

If she sent me that far away on purpose...

Just as dread overtook me and I sprang to my feet—

Linna slowly raised her hand.

Ruuuumble. Ruuuumble rumble rumble...

With a thunderous noise, the mountain behind the villa—once a beautiful backdrop—began to shake.

Ray involuntarily stepped back and muttered,

“Linna Idra... has finally lost it? Huh?”

The ground beneath the villa began to tremble. Earth poured down from the mountain behind it.

Watching from afar, it looked like the harbinger of a disaster.

Even the people from the lakeside village nearby began to come out, one by one, startled.

“What the—? Why isn’t she even trying to run?!”

Ray shouted in panic.

“What the hell is she thinking? She’s going to die too at this rate!”

“...Huh?”

“Just because she’s a Divine Beast’s master doesn’t mean she’s immune to dirt, water, or fire! She’s still just a person! If she gets buried, she’ll die too! We’ll all die together!”

He wasn’t wrong. Before regression, Ray had been injured by water during Athena’s rampage, and Zahid had been burned during the Entoho incident.

Then a thought flashed through my mind.

[About the question you asked last time—about ending your life using the power of a Divine Beast.]

It was a note from Yuta, replying to a question I’d asked him.

[Of course a Divine Beast would never obey an order to kill its master.

But... if the master’s will is strong enough, it might not have a choice. Like what happened with Liri back then.]

“What do we do, Ray? I... I think you’re right.”

I mumbled, jaw slack.

“Linna... she’s trying to die.”